WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Pinus brutia, WUCOLS IV

How often to water Calabrian pine in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Calabrian pine in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 19 gallons a week. Calabrian pine is a fast growing evergreen from the northeastern Mediterranean that reaches 50 to 80 feet in gardens with an open, rounded crown. Its paired needles are long and bright to yellowish green, and its bark ages from flaky orange-red to thick and fissured. It needs sun and good drainage and does best near the coast.

TreeRated for 6 of 6 zones

How often to water Calabrian pine, month by month

Your city
Canopy width
10 ft
Your soil

Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.

Every month, on your water days. The personal plan prints this for Calabrian pine and the rest of your yard, on the days your water supplier allows.Get the plan for $19

How this is worked out: established roots fill the top 1.5 feet of soil, and you water again when that soil has dried halfway. Loam soil holds about 1.5 inches of water per foot. Water the whole area under the branches, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.

Which soil do you have?

Dig down a few inches, take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it.

  • Sandy: gritty, falls apart when you open your hand, will not form a ball.
  • Loam: forms a soft ball that crumbles when you poke it.
  • Clay: forms a firm, sticky ball and squeezes out into a ribbon between thumb and finger.

Still not sure? Pick loam. Most garden beds sit between sand and clay.

How to measure canopy width

A tree with its canopy width marked across the widest branches and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the branches, from the tips of the outer leaves on one side to the tips on the other. A tape works, or pace it out.

Water the whole circle under the branches, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that circle.

A wider canopy means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While the tree is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Ground dry half a foot down under the outer branches of a young Calabrian pine means a deep soak is due
  • A crown fading to yellow green during a long, hot drought can mark water stress, which invites bark beetles
  • Fine boring dust or fresh pitch on the trunk and large limbs warrants a check for engraver beetles
  • Yellowing needles over ground that stays wet point to poor drainage around the roots

How to water it

  • Soak a young tree over its root ball and the surrounding soil, widening the circle as it grows
  • On an established tree, irrigate around the outer canopy rather than near the trunk
  • Apply enough water to wet the soil about a foot deep, then let it dry well before the next round
  • Avoid the frequent, shallow watering used on lawns
  • Plant in full sun and well-drained soil, away from low spots that hold water

Through the seasons

A newly planted Calabrian pine needs deep watering through its first few summers while roots spread into native soil. Established trees get by on deep, infrequent soaks in dry spells, but drought stress makes pines more vulnerable to bark beetles. It is evergreen and does best near the coast. In four zones, the north-central coast, the Central Valley, the south coast and South Inland, WUCOLS rates it low water. It rates moderate water in the high desert and the low desert. Winter rain usually covers the cool months on the coast and in the Central Valley.

In pots

Calabrian pine grows too fast and large for a long life in a container, so keep a young tree potted only briefly. Use a deep pot with open drainage holes and a coarse, fast draining mix. In summer, feel the mix 2 inches down every few days and water when that depth is dry. Let the water drain off completely and empty the saucer. Give the pot full sun. In winter, water lightly when the mix begins to dry.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
1.07gal per sq ft in JulyLow water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
6.84 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.761.52.33.00.16JAN0.26FEB0.43MAR0.61APR0.83MAY0.99JUN1.07JUL0.95AUG0.72SEP0.47OCT0.22NOV0.14DEC0.761.52.33.00.16JFM0.61AMJ1.07JAS0.47OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 1.07 in Jul, 6.84 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Calabrian Pine: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.160.310.310.740.78
Feb0.210.260.320.350.930.93
Mar0.350.430.460.521.461.52
Apr0.470.610.560.641.891.95
May0.580.830.640.782.392.45
Jun0.640.990.690.922.852.79
Jul0.641.070.7913.042.85
Aug0.60.950.740.932.792.6
Sep0.50.720.60.742.142.08
Oct0.350.470.460.531.461.49
Nov0.190.220.330.360.930.96
Dec0.120.140.260.270.650.68
Year4.86.846.27.3721.2721.08

How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.

Plants with the same water needs 16

Rated low water in the Central Valley, like Calabrian pine. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Olive TreesOlea europaea ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFig TreesFicus carica ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCrape MyrtleLagerstroemia spp., hybrids & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyAloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPomegranate TreesPunica granatumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyEucalyptusEucalyptus polyanthemoslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPine TreesPinus canariensislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyTexas Red OakQuercus buckleyilow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPortuguese OakQuercus faginealow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySoapbark TreeQuillaja saponarialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyNecklace TreeSophora affinislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBailey AcaciaAcacia baileyanalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySilver WattleAcacia dealbatalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGreen WattleAcacia decurrenslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes Calabrian pine, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.

Questions people ask

How often should I water Calabrian pine in summer?

In July, established Calabrian pine in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days in the Central Valley, about every 27 days on the south coast and about every 22 days in the South Inland zone. Sandy soil holds less water, so waterings come closer together. Clay stretches them. Check the soil before each watering and skip one after a soaking rain.

How much water does Calabrian pine need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established Calabrian pine needs about 2.7 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 11 gallons a day under a 20 foot canopy. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for Calabrian pine change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Calabrian pine separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, low water in the Central Valley zone, low water in the South Coastal zone, low water in the South Inland zone, moderate water in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, moderate water in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Is Calabrian pine the same as Aleppo pine?

They are close relatives, and Calabrian pine is sometimes sold as a variety of Aleppo pine. Calabrian pine comes from the northeastern Mediterranean, while Aleppo pine comes from the northwest.

How do I protect Calabrian pine from bark beetles?

Keep the tree vigorous with deep, infrequent watering at the outer canopy during dry summers. Drought stressed pines attract beetles, including an invasive engraver that attacks Mediterranean pines. Avoid wounding the trunk and roots.

How big does Calabrian pine get?

It grows fast to 50 to 80 feet tall and 25 to 30 feet wide, with an open crown of irregular branches. Give it room away from buildings and power lines. Widen watering as the canopy spreads.

Can you overwater a Calabrian pine?

Yes. It needs good drainage, and soil that stays wet harms the roots. Water deeply, then let the ground dry well. Keep it out of frequently irrigated lawn.

When do Calabrian pine cones open?

The cones ripen about two years after pollination and may stay closed for a while after that. Seeds are often not shed until winter rain softens the scales.

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Sources